# Accident 19990819012949A: Airtrc AT802A, Elko, NV, August 19, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 19, 1999, 15:00 local time
- Place: Elko, NV
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.9496° N, 115.7891° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9496&lon=-115.7891&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9190G, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9190G-2025-10-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Air Tractor AT-802A (registry code 0390308, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-802a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52034, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRTRC AT802A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 12,000 total, 800 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99TA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99TA274) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990819012949A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN A FIRE FIGHTING MISSION WHEN ITS LEFT WING TIP STRUCK A TREE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON AUGUST 19, 1999, AT 1426 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-802A, N9190G, COLLIDED WITH A TREE DURING A FIRE FIGHTING AERIAL RETARDANT APPLICATION NEAR ELKO, NEVADA.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED AS A PUBLIC-USE AIRCRAFT UNDER CONTRACT TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM), FOR WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATIONS.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATION.  THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED.  THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1400 AT THE ELKO AIRPORT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS RESPONDING TO A WILDFIRE ON BLM LAND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS FOLLOWING A LARGER AIRCRAFT ON A FIRE APPLICATION RUN.  HE SUCCESSFULLY DROPPED HALF HIS RETARDANT LOAD ON THE FIRE AND WENT AROUND FOR ANOTHER RUN.  ON THE SECOND PASS, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRAFT AS IT NEARED THE RELEASE POINT AND THE PILOT RECOVERED AT A LOW ALTITUDE.  DURING THIS PROCESS, THE LEFT OUTER WING COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF A JUNIPER  TREE. THE PILOT RETURNED TO ELKO AND LANDED.  THE MOST OUTBOARD 4 FEET OF THE WING LEADING EDGE WAS CRUSHED AFT WITH RIB DAMAGE.                     (.4)THE PILOT WAS ON A FIRE RETARDANT APPLICATION RUN.  HE SUCCESSFULLY DROPPED HALF HIS LOAD ON THE FIRE AND WENT AROUND FOR ANOTHER RUN.  ON THE SECOND PASS, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRAFT AS IT NEARED THE RELEASE POINT AND THE PILOT RECOVERED AT A LOW ALTITUDE.  DURING THIS PROCESS, THE LEFT OUTER WING COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF A JUNIPER TREE.  THE PILOT RETURNED TO ELKO AND LANDED.  THE MOST OUTBOARD 4 FEET OF THE WING LEADING EDGE WAS CRUSHED AFT WITH RIB DAMAGE.                                         (-23)AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWNWIND AND STRUCK A JUNIPER TREETOP WITH THE LEFT WING DURING A FIRE RETARDENT DROP.  THE OUTBOARD FOUR FEET OF LEADING EDGE SKIN AND RIBS WERE DAMAGED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX99TA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99TA274), Aug 19, 1999: Air Tractor AT-802A (N9190G), Elko, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate terrain/obstacle clearance altitude margin while engaged in fire fighting operations.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.